Lack of Brawn Hurting Knicks
Added on May 15, 2013 by Scott in
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Many opponents of the 2012-13 Indiana Pacers have slunk away battered and bruised in defeat. The New York Knicks are finding that out the hard way in their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. Last night’s 93-82 loss has left the Knicks on the brink of elimination, due in large part to the Pacers muscle inside. Through four games, Indiana has a +42 advantage on the glass.
In the Knicks sole win in the series, they won the battle of the boards by two. In three losses, they have lost that same battle by double digits. Indiana’s +18 margin in Game 4 was especially lopsided as the their starting front line of Paul George, David West and Roy Hibbert grabbed 11 more than New York’s trio of Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin and Tyson Chandler.
The Knicks faced a similar problem against the Celtics in the opening round. Kevin Garnett was a one-man gang, snatching 35 rebounds in Game 4 and 5 victories. The Knicks superior scoring talent proved too much for Boston. However, Indiana’s physical style and relentless defense is posing a much bigger obstacle to overcome.
It’s easy to call out Carmelo for forcing shots and not passing, but he only deserves a portion of the blame for the Knicks woes. Tyson Chandler has been dominated on the blocks, totaling only 22 rebounds in four games. In addition, J.R. Smith has been mired in an awful shooting slump, and point guard Pablo Prigioni was benched for ineffective play.
Amar’e Stoudemire returned to the lineup in Game 3, but he’s clearly not 100%. Expecting him to suddenly become a force inside is unrealistic. The onus is on the rest of the roster to put forth the effort to match the Pacers brawn. Brawlers, not shooters, are the key to competing with Indiana.
Barring an unparalleled barrage of three-pointers, the Knicks aren’t long for the postseason. And looking ahead to next year, getting tougher should be a top priority.
